City: Louisville, KY

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (502) 894-0585

Address: 2339 Frankfort Ave.

Description: This tiny Filipino place where chef Lourdes Fronteras re-creates the distinctive cuisine of her native country adds a distinctive element to Louisville’s ethnic dining scene. Part Spanish, part Asian, part Pacific Rim, the cooking of the Philippines usually has something to offer most palates. The menu has entree selections divided into categories, such as chicken, beef, pork, fish, rice, and noodles, and specialties, and the unique blend of Eastern and Western influences becomes evident at first glance. Oriental standards such as fried rice, noodles, and stir-fries share the stage with Hispanic-inspired favorites like tamales, escabeches, and adobos, but distinct names like pancit, sinigang, and lumpia hint at the uniquely Filipino flavors in store.Appetizers at Sari Sari include favorites such as the Philippine vegetable egg rolls known as lumpia, and the Pinatubo pancake, an East Asian omelet with walnuts, spinach, and bean sprouts. Tinolang isda is a tasty soup with tuna and vegetables in a tamarind broth that Lourdes serves as a special every now and then. For main courses, diners can sample pancit bihon, a popular Filipino dish with cellophane noodles and stir-fried vegetables seasoned with fresh limes, and butterfish inoong-onan, a savory fish stew with ginger, lemongrass, tomatoes, and garlic. For a taste of Spanish-inspired dishes, diners should try the pork or chicken adobo, where vinegar, garlic, and soy form the flavorful backbone of the namesake marinade, or the thick, tomato-based stew flavored with vegetables and spices known as pork menudo.